Bully for You
by ScorplinginTraining
Summary: The worst has happened and Centipede is an enormous success. But there's always a ghost at the feast. The specter of their old boss and friend hovers around ruining the triumphant feelings. Revenge isn't as sweet as Team Centipede imagined. And they learn bullying comes in many forms.
1. Chapter 1

BULLY FOR YOU

**AN: I re-watched 'Little Boy Lost' the other day. It made me mad. Everyone treated Walter like sh*t in that episode. He got no credit at all. In fact, he pretty much got blamed and treated like garbage a lot in Season 3 and everyone else seemed to get a pass on their own bad behavior. Plus the PDA with Tim and Paige in that one made me wanna gag. Anyway, this idea popped in my head. Beware, there's some angst brewing before I make things better. Hope you can hang with me.**

**This takes place about four months after the disaster that was the series finale.**

**oxoxoxoxoxo**

He took the job initially because it was about as far away from Paige and Team Centipede and Los Angeles and all of his other problems as it was possible to be. On the upside, the tax situation was better, the housing was more affordable and he'd always liked living in a temperate climate. Growing up in Ireland, he'd had his fill of gloomy skies, chill and rain.

However, he didn't count on August in Florida feeling like the swampy armpit of one of the many merciless bullies from primary school who'd given him 'sweaties' by the bike racks. He was never comfortably cool here. Or dry. The humidity in the air made him feel like he needed gills to breathe and he went through two sticks of deodorant in a week and at least the same number of clean shirts on any given day.

When Mrs. Thorpe, his new landlady - a grey-haired retiree who seemed to have nothing in her wardrobe but flowery mu-mus in blindingly bright hues - handed over his keys, she clucked at his complaints and assured him he would acclimate. She proudly informed him she was a snow bird from Vermont and she'd gotten used to it after a while. As if that was some kind of heroic accomplishment.

Walter wondered if it was calculable exactly how many eons it might take. But he didn't pose the mostly rhetorical question because he didn't want to prolong the conversation.

Even though it had been a long while since he'd worked for someone other than himself, he was nevertheless surprised to feel unsettled on his first day at his new job. He had no reason to be nervous. His skill set and experience most likely exceeded the majority of his coworkers and his intelligence certainly did.

Back when they used to be friends, Toby might have told Walter he simply didn't want to be rejected again. But the ultra genius had absolutely no intention of getting personally involved with the rest of the staff at this company. He was better off on his own. The implosion of the Scorpion 'team' taught him that much. That entire experiment turned out to be an abysmal failure on many levels. Walter prided himself on learning from his mistakes. The lessons he'd learned at Scorpion were especially painful and he had zero intention of repeating them.

Over-compensating for the muggy weather, which already had his shirt sticking to him at a few minutes before nine in the morning, a sudden rush of de-humidified, frigid air-conditioned air whooshed out and surrounded him as he opened the door to his new employers' office. The hassled receptionist behind the rounded desk gave him a hurried smile and held up one finger as she also signed for a package and answered the phone simultaneously.

He waited while she completed her tasks trying for an appearance of calm. It was unfortunate he still frequently heard his ex's voice in his head reminding him to be patient. That same little voice made him recognize the woman appeared to be overwhelmed and it wasn't her fault he was in danger of reporting late for his first day of work. The fault landed squarely on the road construction and flag crews who caused him to brake too quickly and spill the iced latte - he couldn't tolerate hot coffee anymore - he'd been sipping down the front of his first clean shirt of the day.

Finally, she appeared to hit a lull in her manic activities and she caught his eye. "Sorry about that. Mondays!" She offered him by way of explanation then she gave him a genuine smile and the company tag line, "Welcome to International Business Solutions – Creative Solutions for today's business challenges. What can I do for you?"

"Hello. I'm Walter Sullivan. I'm the new hire."

"Oh, yes! Welcome aboard. Right." She shuffled through a teetering stack of envelopes and papers. "I have your paperwork and your temporary badge… Ah, here! Go on back to HR. It's the first door on the left. Good luck!"

He didn't pause to inform her about his lack of belief in the concept of luck nor did he even bother to ask her name. He only thanked her politely and stepped around her desk when she buzzed the door open for him.

He wasn't there to make friends.

oxoxoxoxoxo

She was slumped at the conference table, stacks of paperwork scattered in haphazard piles around her. All of it was urgent. None of it could wait. She was almost too exhausted to care. It would be well into the wee hours before she made a sizable dent. She could and probably should consider hiring an assistant. Centipede was certainly thriving.

However, Paige Dineen wasn't. She found no pleasure in the success of her start-up. Not when it meant the demise of the Scorpion family and, even more importantly, most of the progress she'd made in her relationship with her son. Because Ralph wasn't thriving either. On a good day, he was closed off and quiet. On bad days, he was belligerent and hostile. Yes, the success of her company had come at too great a cost. All she had to show for it was hours and hours of burning the midnight oil all alone.

A bittersweet memory filtered into her tired mind, making her heart ache and tears sting her eyes.

Another late night. A different conference table. A curly-haired companion who shared the workload as well as smiles and yawns and furtive glances. They'd just finished blitzing through a small mountain of invoices and he'd asked if she wanted a refill of coffee. Paige had already consumed so much it was making her jittery. Or maybe she could be honest with herself now and admit it was the appreciative look in his dark eyes whenever they met hers giving her those butterflies.

She'd stood to stretch out the kinks, pressing her hands to her spine and bending backwards. She'd seen him out of the corner of her eye, frozen, a coffee mug in each hand, and watching mesmerized as if he was trying to commit to memory every soft curve. It set her whole body tingling with awareness.

He'd shaken himself out of his stupor and approached. Clearing his throat, he tried to hand her one of the mugs. She'd taken both of them. He looked puzzled but didn't resist or object when she set them over on her desk.

He still wore the adorable confused expression when she'd hopped up on the table. He finally caught on to her invitation when she grasped his hands and pulled him between her splayed knees, placing those strong hands on her hips before sliding her own slowly up his arms and lacing them behind his head. Pulling his face toward her, she kissed him thoroughly, leaving them both gasping and him groaning her name against her throat.

Now, imagining the look on his face when he'd accepted that invitation and laid her back on that table still robbed her of breath. Total adoration. He was completely enthralled. Enraptured. Stunned. Like he couldn't believe his luck. No one else had _ever_ looked at her that way.

And she was now afraid no one ever would again.

oxoxoxoxoxo

"Welcome to International Business Solutions. Where IBS is supposedly a good thing. Let's get this party started."

The odd joke was lost on him, if indeed it was supposed to be a joke. Wearing a bewildered frown, Walter shook the offered hand.

"What'd you say your name was?" His 'mentor' eyed him up and down and seemed to find him lacking somehow.

"Um, I didn't. I'm Walter." He tapped the name on his temporary badge for emphasis. Perhaps she was dense.

"Walter. Gotcha. I'm Keilah. Come with me. I'll show you where to put your stuff." She turned on her heel and paced purposefully down the hall. He couldn't help but note she had a somewhat mannish stride.

She indicated a door on her right. "This is the men's locker room. You'll need to bring a change of clothes and a combination lock tomorrow. You're required to do at least twenty minutes a day of cardio exercise in the company gym upstairs. It's a dumbass policy, but what're you gonna do?" She shrugged. "It's not a bad gym if you're into that kind of thing and it's considered a 'perk' to use it whenever you want. There's all kinds of classes including…" She rolled her eyes. "…yoga. You can sign up online. I'll show you when we get to your cube."

At his horrified look, Keilah grinned. "Believe me. I feel ya. But this is a 'progressive' company for the new millennium. Heil, IBS! But, seriously, remember big brother is always watching and listening." She pointed a thumb at the high density camera over her shoulder.

"Personally, I just suck it up and use a treadmill on my lunch break everyday. It's okay. I've read it actually increases…"

"Circulation to the brain and therefore productivity. I imagine that is the general idea."

"That's what they tell me anyway," she said wearing a skeptical smirk, "It probably doesn't hurt the bottom line on the company's health insurance policy either." She gestured toward the elevator. "The gym's on the third floor and so's the cafeteria. It's a bunch of health food, organic and vegan garbage and you have to be in a different tax bracket than us to afford it. I usually bring mine from home or go out if I have time." She snorted, "Which is never."

While he was glancing around, Keilah suddenly took off down a side hall. "Hey! Keep up," she called.

Walter trotted after her, mildly irritated.

"We live in the basement like step kids." She opened the stairwell door and jogged down a flight. Then, when he'd caught up, Keilah paused with her hands on the exit's crash bar. "Listen, I feel like I should give you fair warning. We aren't the most popular kids down here with the e-geeks. As trouble-shooters, we're required to find and point out everyone else's coding errors. People generally don't like that much."

Walter gave her a wry smile. "Don't worry. I'm used to being unliked."

oxoxoxoxoxo

"Gallo."

The harsh greeting surprised her. Paige hadn't known exactly what to expect when she'd called Cabe out of the blue, but that one word carried quite a load of attitude.

She tempered her own voice to sound friendly and soothing. "How've you been? It's been a while."

"It has. Makes me wonder what you want."

She took a calming breath then another, refusing to rise to the bait. In truth, she did have an agenda. Paige was hoping to drop hints to Cabe about how Ralph was struggling. The idea being he would pass the information on to Walter without her direct involvement. She wasn't ready to admit to anyone besides herself how much she needed her genius ex's guidance. "I was just checking in on you. We miss you around here, you know?"

"That so? Coulda fooled me," he grumbled.

"Listen, Cabe. I'm really sorry I haven't been in touch. It was a little awkward what with… everything." There was a long pause where she nervously wound her office phone's cord around her fingers waiting on him to say something. "Um, it's been really busy here too…," she finally added meekly.

"Yeah? I heard Centipede was taking off like a rocket," He spit the company's name out as if it had a foul taste, "Got a big influx of clients recently?"

"Well, yes, actually. How did you know?"

"I may not be a genius, but I figured when Scorpion shut its doors for good, the roaches had to scatter somewhere."

"Closed its doors? What do you mean? I hadn't heard… Don't you guys still handle the Homeland cases?" Paige was truly shocked by the news.

"Not since my heart attack," he stated bluntly.

She nearly had her own heart attack once she'd fully processed what he said. No wonder he sounded so bitter. "Oh, Cabe. I'm so sorry. I had no idea. Are you okay? Why didn't anyone let us know?"

'_What was wrong with_ _Walter? He could've at least told us. Another example of his immaturity…'_ She thought those things resentfully, but stopped herself from saying them out loud.

"They tell me I'll live. I've been relegated to desk duty until I can't stand it anymore and retire. Carson is the other winner in the deal. Besides Centipede, that is. He's thrilled to have me under constant surveillance. As for why you weren't informed? I made Walter promise not to. He was already beating himself up for adding to my stress. You know how he gets. Blaming himself. I didn't think he needed the added… drama of seeing his old ex-pals."

"Oh, I see." Biting her lip, Paige turned instantly contrite. There she went with the old knee jerk reaction of jumping to false conclusions. "What can I do? What do you need?"

"Unless you can offer me a different job or a younger ticker, nothing."

The silence stretched while Paige fought off a crushing sense of guilt. She should've been there for Cabe. All of them should have.

The older man who'd been a second father to her and a grandfather to her child sighed, all the fight leaving his tone when he said, "There is one thing you could do for me."

"Anything."

"You could find Walter."


	2. Chapter 2

BULLY FOR YOU

**AN: There's going to be a point to all this. I promise I'll get there if you'll stick with me.**

**oxoxoxoxoxo**

Utter nonsense.

That's all it was. With each day that passed, Walter's frustration with his new job escalated.

He was finding it extremely difficult to follow rules which had absolutely no basis in logic. On the corporate level, the decisions and dictatorial edicts were, for the most part, entirely ridiculous. He spent most days finding convenient work-arounds to all the stupidity that would make his job harder if he wasn't a genius.

However, it was the behavior of his colleagues that aggravated and confused him the most.

Walter understood the evolutionary tendency to prey on the weak and attack others perceived to be different than oneself. It was a simple biological survival instinct to weed out inferior DNA in the herd and ensure the longevity of others like oneself. What he never could quite fathom was why adult humans felt the need to celebrate and embrace those instincts as if they couldn't be overcome, as if human intelligence shouldn't supersede animal urges.

After only a few weeks at 'IBS' Walter concluded he was surrounded by an uncivilized pack of hyenas. So far he'd only been subjected to a few harmless jibes himself. He was easily able to ignore them. Because of his experiences as a youth, he had loads of practice. Plus, he felt vindicated when he doubled down on his efforts to find even minute errors in the work of those who taunted him. However, he had little tolerance for bullies when it came to their treatment of other people.

Sure, he admittedly found Keilah a bit irritating as well. She had an odd name, she was picky and weird and she could come off as rude and condescending. She often laughed at inappropriate times. And yes, she was a little strange looking. With her thin, beaky nose, protuberant eyes, recessed chin and long, skinny legs she resembled a surprised, brainy stork. But he couldn't understand the other employees' vicious antagonism toward her. She did her job fairly and adequately. Why wasn't that enough to earn their respect?

He'd vowed not to become involved, but each incident left him seething and longing to exact revenge on her behalf.

His very first day, when she'd been showing him how to clock in using her desk phone, she found a nasty, wet wad of chewing gum stuck to the earpiece of the receiver. What was even more disturbing than the prank itself was the fact she kept a jar of peanut butter – because apparently it was useful for removing gum from one's hair - handy in a desk drawer because that exact thing happened with such frequency. When he'd shown his annoyance, she laughed it off and told him she'd mostly adapted and normally remembered to use the speaker feature instead of picking up the handset.

The following week, someone 'accidentally' tripped and spilled a soft drink all over her desk, destroying a document she'd been about to present in a staff meeting. Keilah had simply mopped up the sticky mess and printed another copy saying, "Lucky thing I always back up my work." It still caused her to get reprimanded for being late to the meeting.

On a Thursday two weeks later, she'd put her lunch in the refrigerator in the staff break room. When she went back to get it at noon, she found someone had saturated her sandwich with hot sauce rendering it soggy and inedible. Again, Keilah took it in her stride and ate snacks from the vending machine instead.

In the end, Walter found he was always on edge anticipating the next attack. His protective side was on high alert even though he was determined not to react in his usual manner. The only positive outcome to all the bullying was it kept him from dwelling on the excruciating tedium of his new job. And it was distracting enough to keep him from being unproductive by letting his mind wander during all the tedium and focusing on others things and people who belonged to the past. It gave him no choice but to concentrate on the present.

One Friday morning, she collapsed into a heap underneath her desk because someone had loosened the bolts on her chair's seat. Walter was furious.

"What is the matter with you? Why on Earth don't you report these incidents?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Her muffled reply came from the floor.

Walter walked around her desk to glower down at her. "Are you injured?"

Keilah struggled to a sitting position. "Nothing's hurt but my pride."

"The point is you could've been hurt. Why don't you go to our supervisor or HR and report these idiots?"

The woman had the audacity to look peeved with Walter instead. "Keep your voice down, will ya? If I wanted your opinion, I'd've asked. Just leave it alone. I'll call maintenance. It's NBD. Okay?" She glared at him and rubbed at her backside while hushed snickers came from other cubicles all around them.

He raised an impatient brow. "NBD? Maybe I'll go on your behalf," he muttered as he aimed a testy look around the room trying to see if anyone looked remotely guilty or ashamed.

"Yeah. It means _No Big Deal_. Were you born under a rock? And are you deaf? I said _leave it_. It doesn't concern you." She snatched up her phone's handset and, jamming it between her ear and shoulder, she jabbed the numbers for the maintenance department with one finger while she continued glaring at him.

Walter flopped back down on his perfectly functional chair and, pretending to open a file on his computer for review, he also listened with half an ear to Keilah's side of the conversation.

"I know. I _know_ it's my third chair this quarter…" There was a pause for an indistinguishable answer. "I get it. Whatever." Another muffled reply. "I can't do my job standing up. I guess the chairs I'm getting are faulty or something. Listen, I'll take whatever you've got."

A disgusted 'Ugh' escaped her when she went to hang up and another tacky piece of gum stuck to her ear and stretched toward the phone's base.

By that afternoon, her desk chair had been replaced with a hard metal folding chair from the cafeteria. The hyenas periodically gathered in clumps to stare and have a laugh at her expense.

It was completely asinine. If Keilah didn't want to stoop to retaliation, she should at least report her tormentors to their superiors. Walter hadn't seen such blatant hazing since his own high school experience. He fumed the whole rest of the afternoon. He was frustrated with the perpetrators, of course, but he was almost angrier with Keilah for being so passive about it all. How could she let the fools get away with it?

That same evening, because of a looming deadline, the two of them had to stay quite late completing some trouble shooting on some new software. It was nearly nine by the time they finished and sent their work in for review, late enough the night cleaning crew was there emptying trash cans and restocking restrooms with paper products.

When they were shutting down their computers and gathering their things, Keilah's stomach growled loud enough for them both to hear it over the drone of a vacuum across the room.

Walter had no idea why he did it. After all, he'd vowed not to socialize with any of his coworkers outside the office. And he regretted it almost the same second as it was coming out of his mouth. But the damage was done. He'd asked her if she wanted to go somewhere and grab a bite to eat.

Keilah squinted at him over the reading glasses balancing crookedly on the end of her thin nose. The expression she wore would've been comical if it wasn't aimed at him. It was as if he'd told her he was a card carrying member of The Flat Earth Society.

So he immediately started babbling. "I mean it's just I'm hungry and it's obvious you are as well and since we both need to eat something we might as well go to the same place and maybe we can talk over this bullying nonsense since I'd like to know more details like when it started…"

"Oh, okay," Keilah answered, still looking suspiciously at him as if he had an ulterior motive she couldn't quite discern.

They walked in awkward silence to the only open restaurant near the office which turned out to be the pizza place on the corner. It was closing in another ten minutes as well, but luckily they were able to place a to-go order.

The two of them had a stilted conversation about the details of a tricky project they'd been assigned for the following week until their pizza was ready. They took it and a couple of canned drinks and sat on a bench outside. The sun was fully down, but the night was still muggy. It didn't have quite the full broiler effect. It felt more like being slowly steamed. However, a welcome breeze swept by at intervals keeping them from sweltering too badly.

They were both so ravenous they ate half the pie in silence, not even attempting to talk. In the back of his mind, Walter acknowledged it was nice to have a meal with someone again. Anyone. It was the first time he admitted to himself exactly how lonely he'd been.

Feeling sated and a bit grateful toward his odd companion, he began to ask questions. "I want to know why. Why do you put up with those people harassing you that way?"

She raised her head and lifted a sardonic eyebrow at him. "Why does it matter so much to you?" There was a thick smear of red sauce across her cheek.

He handed her a napkin and indicated the same spot on his own face. She wiped the wrong cheek. Of course. Rolling his eyes, he pointed at the stain. She finally got it right in the end.

He replied, "I don't know. I've endured my fair share of bullying in my life and I typically handle it in one of two ways. I either take care of it myself by showing them exactly how stupid they are or, I have, on occasion, reported them to the authorities. I guess it frustrates me that you don't seem to be handling it at all."

Keilah shrugged. "Maybe my way of handling it is not handling it. Did you ever think of that?"

"That seems… ineffective."

"Look. I'm never going to be Miss Popular anywhere I go. I'm used to it. When you have a somewhat… my therapist likes to call it a 'prickly' personality and it's accompanied by these looks?" The woman fluttered a hand up and down indicating her face and body, "Well, it's a recipe for disaster, believe me. I have to be practical. I need this job."

"Just because your looks are… un-unconventional…"

The corner of her mouth twitched up into a sideways smile. "That's a nice way to put it. Don't worry about it. There are advantages to being unattractive."

When Walter gave her a look of disbelief, Keilah argued, "There _are_."

"Like what?" In spite of himself, he was fascinated by the theory.

"Oh… I can be inconspicuous, for one thing. An attractive person? Especially a pretty woman? Eyes follow her around the room all the time. That's why women tend to go to the restroom in packs when they're in public places. I never have that issue. I don't like to be the center of attention, so that's a plus."

"Okay. I guess I can understand that. But what else?"

"Let's see. Um, my boss's wife is never afraid he's having an affair when he works late with me. Oh, and women are never afraid I'm out to steal their husbands, so I don't have to put up with petty jealousy."

"It seems like you have to put up with a lot of other petty and childish behaviors though. I'm not sure that's a good trade off."

"You're not wrong." She picked a mushroom off the top of the last slice of pizza and popped it into her mouth. "See, I've been fired before simply because people don't like me. There was never anything wrong with my attendance or the quality of my work. My coworkers usually just pick at me until I leave or the boss finds some excuse to get rid of me." She adopted a mock authoritative voice and said, "'Sorry, Keilah, we're downsizing', 'You were the last hire', 'You're not a good fit with our team, Keilah'." In her own voice, she added, "You know the drill. This time I'm determined to last a full two years so I'll have something on my resume that can be expressed in years rather than months. So, I don't rock the boat around there. That's it."

"There must be something you can do."

"Maybe. But what about you? What's your story, Mister Zero Tolerance? C'mon. I told you mine. It's only fair."

Walter had never felt comfortable opening up until… And that endeavor went as horribly wrong as it possibly could. For some reason, though, on this particular night, he felt completely safe telling Keilah about himself and his own past experiences.

He found she was a good, interested listener. He never once saw boredom on her face.

oxoxoxoxoxo

"What 'cha doin'?" Happy wiped the grease from her hands with a plaid flannel rag. With a pang she remembered it was made from one of the old shirts Walter had worn that time he was trying to impress Paige.

Ralph immediately snapped his laptop closed. "Nothing. Just a project for my mom," Was his too quick, guilty answer.

"You looking for Walter too, huh?" The little mechanic nodded knowingly.

The boy glanced at her over his shoulder as she approached, his eyes widened in shock.

Happy nodded. "You thought you were the only one?"

"I guess I assumed. It's not a big secret or anything. It's just… no one talks about him any more, you know? And mom said Cabe is worried. She is too, but she won't tell me that."

"No one talks about anything much any more. Everything is too stupid right now. It sucks. Walt used to say your mom was the glue, right? But he was always the foundation."

Ralph's eyes turned sad. "Yeah. And without a foundation, things feel pretty shaky around here."


	3. Chapter 3

BULLY FOR YOU

**AN: I'm probably going to step on a few toes with this chapter, but re-watching episodes from Season 3 really made my blood boil in a lot of ways. If you have a different opinion that's fine. This is fiction, after all. Just no flames, please. **

**oxoxoxoxoxo**

"Don't worry. 197 didn't evaporate. He's gotta be out there somewhere and if anyone can find him, Ralph can."

Paige jumped when Toby walked up behind her. Both because she was deep in thought and didn't hear him approach and also because she got caught staring into the conference room watching her son as he continually typed and read and scrolled on his tablet. He hadn't moved from his spot since he'd gotten to the Centipede offices after school.

"Would you mind not sneaking up on me, please?"

"I'll start wearing a bell around my neck." He smirked.

Paige rolled her eyes heavenward but otherwise decided to ignore the smart alec response. "I know Ralph has a better chance of success than anyone else. But it's a big world and it might take him a while. I'm actually more worried that he's becoming obsessed with this search. Maybe I shouldn't have asked him to do this."

"He's fine. He's just single-minded. Like someone else we know and won't mention. And this project is giving him a purpose. It's a welcome distraction from all the anger and grief he's been dealing with these past few months."

Now the anxious mother turned toward Toby, eyes filled with alarm. "Did Ralph tell you that?"

The shrink scoffed a little and a rueful smile twisted his mouth up at the corners. "Nope. He's pretty mad at me and politely invites me to butt out most of the time. However, I can't seem to switch the genius behaviorist thing off. That and I might've overheard him jumping down Sly's throat the other day."

"What did he say to Sylvester?" Paige demanded.

Not only was she concerned for her son, but she felt very protective of the mathematician. Since Sly had quit Scorpion, his confidence was at an all-time low and his anxieties routinely attacked him with a vengeance. The poor man had to step down from his alderman post because he had a full blown panic attack at a council meeting. After that humiliation, he'd become a virtual hermit. Not leaving his apartment except for work, he even refused to go on location for cases, choosing to QB from the office instead. He didn't even frequent his old haunt The Warlock's Chest any more. To say Paige was worried was a gross understatement.

"I probably shouldn't've told you that, huh?" Toby winced under Paige's glare.

"Too late. Now, out with it," she insisted, aiming her best 'Mom Look' straight at him.

The look found its mark and Toby soon caved.

"If you're gonna make me tell you, we should probably discuss this in your office," he replied and led her down the hallway.

Once in the office behind a closed door, she turned to him. Arms crossed impatiently, she raised her eyebrows in anticipation and prompted, "Well?"

Toby sighed and shifted uncomfortably. "Alright. Alright." He held up his hands as if in surrender and asked, "Are you positive you want to hear this?"

"Spill it, Shrink!" Paige snapped.

"All Sly did was… Well, he might've pointed out that if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named didn't want to be found, he wouldn't make it easy and maybe we should leave him alone because it was his choice and all. Ralph went off. I've never seen him go on the attack that way. Sarcastic, yes. Loves me some smartass Ralph. But this went way beyond. It was like months of pent up frustration spewing out. All over the place. Poor Sylvester just happened to be the catalyst."

"What exactly did my son say to him?" Paige narrowed her eyes at her reluctant friend.

"I'm getting to it. Keep your hat on. You should really follow my example in that regard," Toby gestured to his ever present fedora. He cringed at the look on Paige's face. "Sorry. I tend to babble when I'm nervous." He cleared his throat. "Ralph said… Well, he said the way we treated You-Know-Who was exactly the same as the way Drew treated to the two of you…"

"What?!" Her mouth fell open with shock. "He can't really believe that!"

"I know. I know," Toby soothed then continued to explain, "But take a beat and listen to his logic. Think about this from Ralph's point of view. He said we only pretended to love Walter when there was something he had to offer us. But once things got difficult, when we needed to be patient and try to understand him, knowing full well how what he's like, we all turned our backs on him and walked out leaving him to fend for himself with not much in the way of support. Leaving him struggling and broke. Just like Drew did to Ralph and you. You follow?" He continued over her agitated sputtering, "He's not entirely wrong. Believe me. I've been trying to come up with arguments to the contrary. But so far, zilch. Remember what Walter did with the returned bail money he could've used to settle the debts and put Scorpion back in the black? Yep. It all went to the unsuccessful fertility treatments for Happy and me. Then, right after that, when Happy's winch design started making money, we all got mad because he took the lion's share to reinvest in the business. So what did he do? He redistributed those funds more equally after the stupid Homeland softball game. Remember that? Scorpion was in a major financial hole when we all left. Ralph's absolutely right about the shape we left Walter in. In his mind we put conditions on our love and friendship. We withdrew our support because 197 made a mistake. Or a series of them if we're being strictly honest. Ralph finds that unacceptable. To him, Centipede is just another big, fat, dead beat dad."

"Oh, Toby," Paige breathed. "What do we do now?"

OXOXOXOXOXO

"Let me get this straight. She argued that your first kiss was just an experiment and it didn't count even though it was important to you."

"Uh, yes. That's accurate."

"Then she turned around and called your year-long relationship an experiment too. Does that mean the entire thing didn't count either?"

"It was _almost_ a year. Just shy of. And I don't know. It seems to follow a certain logic, doesn't it? Why do you ask?"

"I'm just trying to wrap my head around everything. And you're telling me the reason she actually broke up with you was because you did the very thing she asked you to do? And this was after the shrink guy basically told you it would hurt her if you told her the truth. Then he and his wife got pissed off and left when you _didn't_ tell her." Keilah's lip curled in disdain as she jabbed a carrot stick into a tub of ranch dressing. She bit a large chunk off of the end and crunched noisily. A spot of white daubed one side of her mouth.

Walter sighed and handed her a napkin. She was a ridiculously messy eater.

The odd pair had started taking their daily lunch breaks in the atrium together. Sitting sweating in the courtyard was preferable to being surrounded by juvenile pranksters in the employee cafeteria.

Walter had fallen victim to some of the pranks himself now that he spent more time in Keilah's company. Whether it was because the perpetrators started including him in their schemes or whether he was just collateral damage because he was nearby more often wasn't clear. It didn't really matter. He was determined to suss out the source and bring them all down with or without Keilah's permission.

His lunch companion wiped her mouth absently and, gesturing by fluttering the soiled napkin around haphazardly, she started up again, "Then the other guy. The anxious math dude. He quit on you, what, because the girl he liked liked you instead? And you didn't even know he liked her? He didn't tell you? How's that your fault?"

"Well, we had words after that too. I said some things I shouldn't have. I was unreasonable. And rude. It's nothing new for me."

Keilah rolled her eyes. "And I guess he was lily white and didn't say anything bad about you? Right after your girl had just trash talked you and dumped you in front of the whole world. Whatever."

"That's about the gist. Can we talk about something else? I'd rather not discuss it anymore." The topic was making the genius squirm.

"Sure thing. If you'll answer one more question."

He'd do nearly anything to get her to stop dredging up the same old, painful subject. He deeply regretted trying to explain to her the situation with his former friends. "Okay."

"With friends like those, who needs enemies? I mean, how is it better to have friends at all? If they walk out when you screw up, what good are they? And how's them calling you clueless and an egomaniac and constantly pointing out all your flaws as if they're perfect or something…"

"That's technically more than one question. And you haven't got it right at all. Most of the time they were trying to help me…"

"Were they? That's not how I read the lack of gratitude. Not to mention the persistent acting like they were annoyed with you. Bunch of jerks if you ask me. Who needs 'em?"

Walter felt a little stab of defensive hurt for his old teammates. "It wasn't _always_ like that. They were there for me a lot too. And I freely admit I'm too much for most people. I'm just not cut out for having close friendships. I tried and I failed."

"Oh, sorry. I stand corrected. So, your personality quirks give them the right to run you down and treat you like crap when you do or say something they don't like or you don't understand all their rules of societal interactions?"

Walter frowned and shook his head. "That isn't how it was. Or-or not precisely." Or was it? The whole discussion was making him distinctly uncomfortable. He was used to accepting all of the fault in his failed relationships. It's what he'd always done. Because he sucked at relationships, it _had_ to be him. It was a well-known fact. Right?

"Maybe you haven't told me everything, but that's how it sounds to me. You say you could've been a better friend? Well, what about them? It sure appears like they could've used a few lessons of their own."

Walter opened and closed his mouth a few times, but he couldn't formulate a proper rebuttal. So they finished the rest of their break in thoughtful silence.

OXOXOXOXOXO

"Hey, kid."

Ralph looked up as Cabe ambled slowly across the conference room. His usual larger-than-life swagger was diminished by his recent health issues. The older man was thinner than when the boy last saw him and the furrows around his mouth and eyes cut a fraction deeper as a result.

Ralph pushed his chair back with a screech and hurried over. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around Cabe's middle and held tight.

"Hey," Cabe chuckled, patting Ralph on the back, "What's all this?"

The young genius couldn't force words past the knot of tears in his throat. He swallowed hard, fighting them back. Tears served no purpose. He was a man on a mission and couldn't let his emotions slow him down. He dropped his arms and took a step back.

"I'm simply happy to see you. I'm glad you're okay. I didn't know you were sick or I would've found a way to come to see you."

"It's okay. That's on me. I didn't want anyone to worry. And I'm here now. Your mom hired me on as her assistant. Can you believe that?" A happy grin lit up the older man's face. "I can't even type. I still use the hunt and peck method. But I guess this old dog is gonna hafta learn some new tricks. What do you say? You gonna give me a few pointers?"

"Okay." Ralph nodded solemnly. "I'll help whenever I can, but I've got an important project going at the moment."

Cabe leaned toward the boy conspiratorially. "Between you and me, I think your project takes top priority."

"Me too. And I think I've finally made some progress. Want to see?"

Ralph booted up his tablet and began cheerfully speaking in jargon that may as well have been a foreign language for all the sense it made to Cabe. But he cottoned on to the important stuff.

"Walter, as you know, is very adept at hiding and not leaving a cyber footprint. First, I tried tracking his Social Security Number and his car's VIN, registration, insurance, that kind of thing. And I got nothing. Then I managed to hack his bank and credit card accounts. No activity in months. I added Scorpion's state-of-the-art facial recognition software when I hacked security camera feeds at the places he used to frequent. Still nothing."

Cabe shook his head and interrupted with, "You're a little bit dangerous. You know that?"

Ralph shrugged and continued, "Then I got to thinking, this is Walter we're talking about. No matter what, I know he's got to be checking up on me somehow. So I looked to see if anyone has been hacking into my devices lately and voila! He's good at hiding his activity in the background, but I was able to detect it anyway. I'm working on tracing the IP address now, but again, it's Walter and he's bounced the signal around all over the place. Yesterday I set up a tracking program…"

The device in the youngster's hand pinged and the duo shared a stunned look which quickly morphed into twin delighted grins.

"Got him?" Cabe asked.

"Got him!" Ralph replied triumphantly.


	4. Chapter 4

BULLY FOR YOU

**AN: Rewatching Season 3 has really put me in a vengeful frame. Read at your own risk. **

**oxoxoxoxoxo**

She was so nervous, eating anything was out of the question. So, when the flight attendant offered her a package of pretzels, she waved him away, her face taking on a tinge of green at the thought.

She'd always considered it kind of silly when Walter had taken refuge in calculating odds, but now she felt herself wishing for the comfort of a somewhat predictable outcome. She would give anything to know the odds. Because Paige had absolutely no idea how this was all going to play out. It could go either way.

After Ralph had discovered Walter was working under the false name 'Sullivan', the rest was easy. They found out where he worked and where he lived. - He was all the way the hell in Florida! Who would've guessed? - They couldn't, however, find a current cell number for him. Ralph thought it likely he was using a Tracfone or some similar pay-as-you-go option.

When Paige had stated her intention of hopping on a plane and confronting Walter in person, his whole former team had jumped on board, insisting on going with her.

But what if the team came all this way and he wouldn't listen to them?

Surely it was going to work out okay. It had to. Walter had always listened to Paige even when no one else could get through to him.

She glanced over at Sylvester who occupied the aisle seat beside hers. His was leaning back the whole three inches allowable and his head was tilted to the side, lolling almost fully against her shoulder. Mouth agape, he was sound asleep, totally gorked on the anti-anxiety meds Toby prescribed so the younger man could tolerate the flight. As kamikaze butterflies continually dive bombed the inside of her stomach, Paige envied the mathematician's relaxation and wondered, briefly, if he had any Xanax left and if he'd be willing to share. She decided it would be _way_ too telling to ask him, though. Plus, she wanted to be sharp when they finally found Walter. She needed to keep her wits about her.

Why was she so damned edgy anyway?

It was only Walter. Just Walter. He loved her, right?

Sure, they'd parted on bad terms, but it wasn't their first major disagreement. He'd fired her once, after all, and they'd worked through it. They'd always come back to each other in the end.

But that was _before_. Before Paige had gone after his business out of some twisted need for revenge. Before she called him an immature fifteen year old with no hope of improvement. Before she'd gone on the attack and torn him down in front of everyone using the very thing he opened up and confessed was his deepest fear.

She used to point out when he was rude and interfering all the time. And she'd said many other uncomplimentary and downright insulting things to him over the course of their acquaintance. It occurred to her that even when Walter was angriest at her, he'd never attacked her personally. He'd never judged her and found her lacking. He'd sometimes been impatient, but the worst thing he'd ever said to her was 'you're being ridiculous'. Not, 'you _are_ ridiculous'.

Yes, there was a difference. A big difference.

The man-spreading guy in the window seat, the one riding with his elbow in her gut on Paige's opposite side - one of the many reasons she despised the middle seat - caught Paige's attention and nodded toward a couple standing in the aisle a few rows in front of them. The woman was loudly pointing out to anyone who would listen how stupid her partner was for forgetting to pack the phone chargers. According to her, it was the only thing she'd asked him to do and he couldn't even be bothered to do it. The poor guy looked both furious and like he wanted to go sky-diving right out the exit. With or without a parachute.

Paige's fellow passenger shook his head in disgust. "No one likes to be humiliated and disrespected like that," he said, "And she just whacked his balls right off in public."

All Paige saw was a disturbing reflection of her own behavior. Her heart sank like a stone.

oxoxoxoxo

"Paige is a wreck," Toby leaned toward his wife and muttered, "Look at her."

Happy peered around her husband and across the aisle at their new boss. She wrinkled her nose. "You're slipping, Doc. She seems fine to me." She turned her attention back to her package of cookies, using her teeth to tear open one end.

In spite of Happy's glare, Toby reached over and stole a cookie out of the now open bag, absently taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully. "It takes an expert eye, but there's a lot going on underneath that calm facade."

"I'm going to poke you in that expert eye if you steal any more of my cookies."

Ignoring the threat, the behaviorist continued his analysis. "She's not eating. She's impatient with her seatmates…"

"Well, who wouldn't be? Sly is practically snoring in her ear and that other guy is taking up all of his own personal space and most of hers too. That would kill anyone's appetite and make them want to kill their dumbass seatmates too." She contradicted him while she crunched on her snack, causing a few crumbs to fall from her mouth onto the open copy of _'Gearhead_' magazine on the tray table in front of her. Happy flicked the crumbs one by one at Toby.

"No. I'm telling you. She's uncomfortable and practically squirming. Watch her. She can't sit still. Maybe I should talk to her. Would you consider trading…?" Toby started to ask.

"Stop," Happy said sternly, causing him to glance up at her face for the first time. "Leave it, will you? The only thing that's gonna make her feel any better is to resolve this thing with Walt. Since the team split up, Paige hasn't been herself. She feels bad about the way she treated him. I mean, they'd been friends forever, right? Even before they were together-together, you know? I'm sure she hates how things ended. Friends aren't supposed to up and leave just because they're annoyed with something you did or said. Especially when they knew going in how you are. And especially when you're already down. I mean, going for the jugular and walking out when your girl just dumped you in front of everyone… even after he paid for your fertility treatments. People kept calling him clueless... and-and selfish, but you didn't hear him when he talked about you and me having a family and what it would mean to him. And I never told you he-he promised a long time ago, that time I thought I was pregnant, he'd do anything he had to so our family could stay together. Even go back to Ireland…" She bit her lip as if to stop the flow of words.

Toby's focus immediately left Paige and he began to scrutinize his wife closely. "So, we're not talking about Paige any more, are we? You got some things you want to get off your chest, honey bunny?"

"No." The little mechanic swallowed hard and glowered at her husband.

He raised a questioning eyebrow and waited patiently.

"Maybe."

Toby pushed the armrest up and scooted closer, gripping her hand with his. He gave it a squeeze for encouragement and Happy finally began to spill.

"After all the times I've been abandoned in my life… After everything we'd done for each other… Me and Walt, we've been through some stuff and you know it. But I walked out. Not only did I walk out and turn my back on him, I helped destroy the only thing he had left: Scorpion. Toby, he was my best friend. What kind of person does that?"

"A perfect match for this guy." The shrink tapped his chest with one thumb. "Believe me, I know what you mean. When I think about all the times I called him out, I cringe. I was constantly telling him how self-centered he was and I always went on and on about his inflated ego. But you know what? When I was pointing the finger at him, I was pointing three more back at me. I'm admittedly the narcissist in the group, but because I'm cooler and I wrap the crap I say in humor and have better timing, I never got blamed for anything. Hell, I'm as rude to clients and customers as Walter ever was."

"You're not wrong. And me? When I'm not threatening to hurt people, I'm calling them idiots and dummies. I always get a pass too for some reason. Looking back, it kinda seems like a double standard doesn't it?"

"Yep."

The both sat in solemn silence for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts and memories.

After a while, Happy said in a small voice, "I guess it's a lucky thing Walt doesn't feel things like other humans?"

Their eyes locked and Toby reluctantly reminded her, "Until Paige showed him how."

oOoOoOoOoOo

He didn't notice them at first because he was deep in an argument with Keilah as they walked out the building's tempered glass door into the glaring Florida sunshine. She loved to argue even when her point was completely invalid.

When he finally did see them, it didn't register at first. His eyes just passed over them like they were part of the landscaping in the sterile office park. He supposed in his former life he'd been so used to having them around, his mind didn't find the sight of them unusual.

However, as his gaze landed on Paige he finally stopped short, turning to a frozen pillar of ice mid-retort, every thought suspended as a cold, ruthless fist clenched around his heart and forced the breath from his lungs.

Keilah took up where he left off, stalking down the sidewalk, spewing a vastly illogical defense of her position. It was almost a full minute before she noticed he wasn't walking beside her any more, at which time she pivoted on the spot and marched back, glaring at the circle of people who dared interrupt them. She quickly evaluated the situation and his unusual demeanor.

"Hello, Walter," Paige's voice sounded uncharacteristically breathy and small. Her smile was tentative.

"Surprise!" Toby offered when Walter didn't respond. So he splayed his hands out and gesticulated wildly trying to get a reaction.

For a moment, Keilah's eyes darted back and forth between Walter and the group of people facing him. Her brow lifted mockingly. "Well," she sneered, her expression scornful, "You must be the ol' disloyal posse and the soulless ex. How… unpleasant to meet you all."

"Who the hell are you?" Happy demanded harshly.

"Not really your business," Keilah returned.

Sylvester hid behind Paige while Toby grabbed his wife's elbow as she lunged toward the other woman aggressively. "Walt, call off your guard dog, we just wanna talk," the behaviorist said.

Those words seemed to shake Walter out of his stupor.

"Don't call her that," he snapped.

"I meant no insult," the shrink replied defensively.

"Yes you did," Walter answered hotly, "You always do."

Paige jumped in before things could escalate. "We're all a little bit shaken up here. Could everyone maybe take a step back? We only want to talk to you, Walter. Okay?"

"No."

Blinking in confusion at his abrupt reply Paige asked again, "We came all this way to see you. Could we just go somewhere and talk? Please?"

"I said no. I don't want to go anywhere with you. Any of you," he flatly refused.


	5. Chapter 5

BULLY FOR YOU

**AN: Hey! Sorry this update has taken SO long. Here's kind of a short chapter before I leave on vacation! Woohoo! There should only be one more after this one. Thanks for all my faithful readers/reviewers! You guys are rock stars!**

**OXOXOXOXOXO**

In the same way she'd been doing a few hundred times a second since she'd arrived, Paige considered the wisdom of her actions and nearly gathered up her belongings and left. So many facets of this plan, or lack thereof, could go completely haywire.

What the hell had she been thinking anyway?

The simple answer was she hadn't been thinking about much at all when she'd talked Happy into picking Walter's lock to let her inside his apartment. Her mind had been disengaged. Her heart was too busy reliving how badly Walter's utter rejection had hurt and it loudly drowned out all rational thought.

Paige desperately needed for him listen to her. And she was willing to use every weapon at her disposal to make that happen.

It was a little bit chilly in his room and it was making her situation even more uncomfortable. She couldn't get under the covers. It would ruin the effect.

So she sat in the center of his bed, wearing a negligee like the one she'd bought for their first anniversary, rubbing her hands up and down her arms briskly trying to restore her circulation and arguing with herself about whether or not she should leave. If she stayed, he wouldn't be able to deny her. Would he?

But what was she supposed to do until he got home? Read? Walter literally had nothing in the entire condo she could understand without a translator. Where were all the ladies' magazines he used to consult for relationship advice?

Paige laughed nervously to herself and arranged the sexy nightwear around her body once more, ensuring she was making the most of her assets, then picked up her phone and thumbed through her email for the umpteenth time. She was too restless to remember anything she read, however.

She jumped about a foot when she finally heard his key in the door. Quickly, she shoved her cell under his pillow and fluffed her hair around her shoulders. She arranged the folds of the filmy fabric to froth about her legs and let one thin strap slide down a bare shoulder.

Showtime!

"I'll be ready to go in a minute. I only have to grab that file…"

Holy shit! He had company!

Paige looked frantically around for an avenue of escape or somewhere to hide. Finding no way out, she struggled to get under the sheets before they could discover her in his room. But because she was sitting on them, it made it nearly impossible to get under them in a hurry.

"Paige?"

At his incredulous tone, she froze. In the worst possible position, of course. She was on all fours with her backside to the doorway. The skimpy panties showed more than they hid. She wondered perversely, for a moment, if his ability to recognize her from that angle was due to his eidetic memory.

Paige twisted around and flopped inelegantly back down facing him. She snatched up a pillow and hugged it to her front. It didn't make much of a barrier, but it was better than nothing.

"Oh, hello," she squeaked and gave him an awkward little finger wave.

Walter immediately halted and stood gaping at her.

An irritated voice called from the other room. "What's the hold up? If we don't get started, it'll be midnight before we…"

The weird looking woman he'd been with at his workplace turned the corner and came into the room. She was so busy staring at Paige, she smacked face first into Walter's back. Eyes glued to Paige, he didn't even flinch.

"What is she doing here?" Both women said at once.

Understandably stunned, he answered to no one in particular, "I don't have the faintest idea."

Paige interjected before anyone could say anything else. "Are you dating _her_ now or something?"

His eyebrows shot up and his lip curled as heat crept up from his collar and turned the tips of his ears red. Suddenly insulted by her implications and the attitude behind her question, he replied, "So what if I am? It's none of your business."

"I see," Paige whispered before scrambling out of his bed and hastily yanking on her street clothes over the humiliatingly revealing lingerie, her face burning an interesting shade of fuchsia.

"Sorry to disturb your… evening," she managed to choke out and high-tailed it past the couple and out the front door before the tell-tale tears could start to fall.

The odd woman's braying laughter chased her down the stairs as she fled.

OXOXOXOXOXO

"I should go after her," Walter stated, a worried frown on his face, "Sh-she was upset."

The annoying laughter stopped abruptly. "What? No. Are you kidding me right now? That was _fantastic_. Brav-oh! Serves her right."

The genius still looked unsure. "Now that the initial shock has worn off, I've come to the conclusion she was probably only trying to get my-my attention." He gulped.

"Neat-o." Keilah raised a sarcastic eyebrow.

"You don't think I should at least hear her out? Or-or my old f-friends? It seems pretty harsh not to listen to what they have to say after they came all the way across the country to find me."

"Well, it seems pretty harsh of them to walk out on you, start a rival company and steal your clients. Not to mention some of that crap they said to you first. I'm just sayin'. Up to you, of course." She shrugged then she added out of the corner of her mouth, "But I'm yanking your man card if you do."

After a pause, she slapped him on the shoulder and added, "If you ask me, I say you should let 'em sweat. Make 'em crawl." She ground one fist into the other hand for emphasis.

Walter winced. "That-that's not very mature, is it?"

"Mature? I thought you gave up on all that emotional maturity garbage."

Walter's focus dropped to the floor and he mumbled, "I don't think I'm up for working tonight if that's alright. Sorry." He scuffed a toe into the carpet, his expression pensive.

"Hey. It's all good. I know you gotta be a little freaked out about all this 'blast-from-the-past' junk. Are you sure you don't want to hang out and blow stuff up on 'Just Cause 3' instead? It might get your mind off of everything." She gave him a vigorous nod, her face lit up with eager hopefulness.

"Um. No thanks."

Keilah narrowed her eyes at Walter. Shaking a stern finger at him, she scolded, "Don't wallow. Got it?"

He gave her an offended look. "I never _wallow_," he sneered.

OXOXOXOXOXO

"Did you mean it?"

Walter paused with his hand extended and turned toward the source of the query. He didn't see anyone.

He'd been in the process of locking the deadbolt of his outer door. Even though he was trying his hardest to get to work on time, he was nevertheless running a little behind due to many sleepless hours spent wallowing, issues with the hot water and a subsequent call to his landlady who wanted to chat about inane and unrelated subjects. He did not need any further delay, especially one in the form of an eerily familiar disembodied voice coming from the shadows of the stairwell.

He decided to ignore it.

Ralph's lanky figure popped into the light and quickly caught up with Walter as the older genius paced toward the parking lot. The boy's legs had obviously grown longer and his voice had also gotten deeper since the last time they'd met.

"Ralph? Where did you come from? Are you here for your mother's phone? I, uh, found it after she left last night," Walter asked.

He was loath to admit he'd also hacked into that phone and snooped though her pictures before he'd forced himself to stop. It troubled him how thrilled he felt when he discovered pictures of the two of them as a couple doing silly everyday things romantic partners did. She hadn't deleted them! That had to be a good sign. Of what, he still couldn't figure out.

He was gratified to see the boy, but he was also instantly suspicious, making his questions come out sharper than he intended. Was his mother lurking around somewhere too? His heart betrayed him and began to thump erratically at the thought.

Stupid. Hope, in this case, was a waste of energy. Wasn't it?

The young man frowned. "No. I'm not here about Mom's phone. She didn't mention it to me because she doesn't know I'm here. And you should know I'm perfectly capable of getting around on my own when I need to. You're not the only one who can hack his way onto Amtrak manifests when the situation calls for it."

Walter leaned his back against his car as he turned to face Ralph. "So-so you're here without your mother's permission? I'm going to have to call her. She's got to be worried."

Ralph's lips compressed into a thin line. "How's that going to work exactly?"

"Right." Walter nodded, feeling silly. "I have her phone."

"Now could you answer my question, please?"

He frowned at the boy for a moment. "I'm afraid I don't know how to answer you. You'll have to be more specific."

"Did you mean it when you said we were a cyclone? A family? That we'd do anything for each other? Did you mean it when you told me you cared about me? Did you mean it when you said you loved my mom?"

"Of course," he replied shortly.

They stared at each other for an uncomfortable few seconds before Walter added, "You know I only state facts."

"No, you don't. That's one of the reasons we're in this mess."

"No. Now th-that was your mother. She taught me about white lies…"

Ralph held up an impatient hand, "If you meant any part of that, why won't you even speak to them?"


	6. Chapter 6

BULLY FOR YOU

**AN: Sorry it's been so long between updates. I don't want to crank out garbage and my time to write is more limited these days. Thanks for sticking with me.**

**oxoxoxoxoxo**

He realized time is all relative, but the excruciating ride in the car sitting in close quarters with a fuming Ralph seemed interminable. Walter had always been ill at ease when the boy was upset with him and he'd never seen Ralph quite _this_ angry before. Over the years, he'd grown accustomed to his genius mentee's admiration. Well, it wasn't quite the all-out hero worship of their early relationship, but at least he could usually count on respect if nothing else.

The teen had obviously been perfecting his skills at giving the cold shoulder recently, because he'd become an absolute expert. Perhaps it was hereditary. From his mother, of course. Paige was the only other person who'd ever made him feel this badly when using the silent treatment on him.

That particular morning, all attempts at communication were rebuffed. After the younger genius flat-out demanded Walter call in to work citing a 'family emergency' as his excuse for being absent, he'd fallen into sullen silence broken only at intervals when he needed to curtly bark driving directions.

When morning traffic ground to a halt, the freeway turning into a over-crowded parking lot, a squirming Walter tried engaging the stone-faced Ralph one more time. He searched his mind for a topic and decided to try a different, more personal tactic as all previous efforts to ask about school or new tech or even Cassie the Satellite had failed epically.

"I've really missed seeing you," Walter offered meekly, his focus riveted to the bumper sticker on the car in front of them. The sun's glare glinting off the chrome made it painful to decipher, but he squinted at it determinedly, because the effort was still more comfortable than meeting the eyes of his irate passenger. The sticker read: 'Have you hugged your kid today?'

Wow. How apt. Fat chance of a gesture like that being welcomed today or in any foreseeable future.

As if on cue, the youngster scoffed and muttered, "Yeah, right," under his breath. He glowered out the window, his reflection skewering Walter with an accusing stare.

"How can you doubt that I missed you?"

"You're supposed to be a genius. You work it out."

Feeling defensive all of the sudden, Walter clapped back, "Hey. It wasn't my decision to leave, you know. It's not like I had much of a choice."

"Oh. That's right. It was all out of your hands. You're the only injured party here. Completely innocent of all wrong doing. You had nothing whatsoever to do with everything going to hell," Ralph sneered sarcastically.

"Your mom wouldn't approve of your language," Walter corrected automatically.

"So? I don't see her here. Do you?"

"No. And I know I'm to blame for that part. Believe me. I'm well aware I screwed up. I was a lousy boyfriend, okay? Everyone made it very clear when they took off and drove Scorpion out of business. So what exactly do you think I should have done? How was I supposed to handle _our_ situation? Hmm? Kidnap you and lock you in the garage with me? I have no legal right to see you. You know that. Our relationship, or lack thereof, is entirely at your mother's whim."

The boy twisted around in his seat and pinned Walter with a look of exasperated disbelief. "You're trying to tell me that someone like you couldn't've figured out a way to talk to me? My grandmother is no genius but we found a way to correspond for years without my mother's knowledge let alone her permission. Maybe we're better at deception than you. We both know she's had a whole lot more practice. But don't sit there and tell me you don't possess the skills to contact someone if you really want to. You were just too busy feeling sorry for yourself to try. You're no better than my father. I don't need you just like I don't need him."

Walter sucked in a sharp gasp. It would've hurt less if Ralph had punched him in the face. "Then what are you doing here?" He rasped past the emotional vise gripping his throat.

"Because the others still do. Need you that is. Even if I don't."

They both clammed up then, each lost in his own feelings of loss and betrayal. And guilt. Yep. Walter recognized that one straight away.

Ralph turned back toward the window once more, his arms wrapped protectively around his middle, his chin thrust out belligerently. If Walter hadn't caught the slight quiver of Ralph's lips, the tightly clenched jaw and the sheen of unshed tears brightening the boy's eyes, he might've taken what was said at face value.

But he'd spent years learning from Paige. The lessons she taught about listening to context and body language speaking volumes were branded indelibly on his frontal cortex. He could no longer deny or ignore the blatant signs of hurt underneath the bravado.

He reached over and tentatively placed a hand on the angry young man's shoulder. Ralph stiffened and gave a slight shrug, but otherwise didn't move away. "I'm a moron. I'm sorry. I never intended to hurt anyone. Least of all you. I don't expect you to understand, because I'm not sure I get it either. Maybe I _was _feeling sorry for myself a bit. But it wasn't only that. Part of me accepted the whole thing was an inevitable outcome. I'd never had successful relationships before Scorpion. I'd certainly never… tried being a loving friend or boyfriend or-or father… because I figured failure was a certainty. And after what you said to me when I fired your mom that time, I thought I'd lost you already. I know I should've tried anyway. I should've fought harder to keep you in my life. I can see that. I should've reached out. I hope you can forgive me for giving up too easily."

Ralph sniffed. "I missed you too. And I was scared. I tried a couple of times to tell my mom the whole thing was stupid and that you still loved us, but she wouldn't listen to me. Nobody listens to a kid. Even if he is a genius."

Walter's expression relaxed into a smile as some of the tension in the car began to dissipate. "I'm listening now."

The traffic inched forward and they fell quiet again for a moment.

Then Ralph said, "I guess it wasn't _all_ your fault. I mean, I did threaten to fight you if you ever hurt Mom again. Plus, I guess I could've figured out a way to get in touch with you too…"

"This isn't on you, Bud. I'm supposed to be the grown up here even though I'm always learning way more from you than I've ever taught you."

Walter wrapped his hand around the back of Ralph's neck and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The young genius slumped sideways and pressed his cheek against his dad's arm.

"Sorry I compared you to Drew. I didn't mean it. Fact is, I've been using that analogy a lot lately because of what the rest of the team did to you."

Walter chuckled and ruffled his son's hair. "It's alright. I guess we all deserved it."

oxoxoxoxoxo

When delivering bad news, it's usually best to just get on with it. Rip that band-aid right off and deal with the wound underneath. Let it spur you into action.

That was the pep talk Cabe gave himself as he approached Paige's hotel room door anyway.

Still, he hesitated for a few moments with his fist poised to knock. This tough, former marine, one who'd bravely risked his life on innumerable missions, quailed inside at the reaction he knew was coming. The messenger was sure to get the full brunt of the impending explosion. Not to mention, he'd never found it easy to hurt a friend. Particularly one he also considered an adopted daughter of sorts.

Dread gnawed in his belly as he finally forced his knuckles to rap on the door.

"Just a sec," came the muffled reply.

Cabe heard Paige slide the security chain out of the track. The door opened a few inches.

"Mornin'. Can I come in?" He asked, wearing what he thought of as a benign smile.

She ran a hand through her tousled hair and stepped back. He took note of her haggard appearance and realized right away something bad was going on with her. It looked like she hadn't slept a wink. She was still wearing the same clothes she'd had on the previous evening at dinner. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were puffy, as if she'd been crying. Maybe she'd already heard somehow?

Paige shuffled back to where her suitcase was open on the bed and began haphazardly shoving her belongings inside with no thought to what went where. It definitely wasn't like her to be so careless with her things.

And she looked so dejected Cabe's heart ached with sympathy at the sight.

He approached her cautiously, like one would a frightened child or a wounded animal. "Hey," he said softly as he placed a hand on each of shoulders. He gently turned her to face him. "You wanna tell me what's wrong?"

Paige returned his gaze stoically for a beat or two. Then her chin trembled and her eyes filled. She ducked her head and huffed a little laugh. "Oh… I don't know. Everything?"

Cabe pulled her to him and embraced her lightly as if she was fragile and she clung to him for a moment or two before looking up and dashing her fingers under her eyes.

She stepped away from him and resumed packing.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I blew it, Cabe. I really blew it with Walter this time."

"Oh, I don't know. As long as you're both breathing, there's always a chance," he reassured her.

Paige swallowed hard. "Not this time. He's moved on with someone else. And I made _such_ a fool of myself. I'm so embarrassed." She lifted tortured eyes to his, "I'm done. I'm going back to California to a grueling, unfulfilling job and a son who hates me and blames me for screwing up his chance at a happy family. He's not entirely wrong about that. I always thought Walter should consider himself lucky to have us. Turns out it was the other way around and I didn't see it until it was too late."

Cabe sat down hard on the corner of the bed suddenly remembering the news he'd come to share. "Um, I hate to add to… Brace yourself, kid. That's not all you gotta deal with today."

Plopping down beside him, she briefly covered her face with her hands before she dropped them to her lap and sighed tiredly. "Go ahead. Give it to me straight."

"I heard from Allie this morning…"

"Oh, no! Ralph? What's happened?" Instantly going into alert mother mode, she reached over and grabbed Cabe's arm.

"Now-Now, Paige. He's okay. At least we think he is…"

"What?! You _think_?" She popped up and jabbed an agitated finger in Cabe's face. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The Homeland agent stood to his feet as well. "If you'll gimme a chance, I'll explain. But you gotta calm down to hear me."

She crossed her arms firmly over her chest, plainly fighting to contain her impatience.

"Allie went in to wake him up for breakfast and… He wasn't in his bed. Or anywhere in the house."

Paige drew breath to interrupt but he held his hands up as if holding her response back. "Let me finish," he urged.

She shut her mouth with a snap and narrowed her eyes, giving him a brusque nod.

"His bed hadn't been slept in and his backpack was gone."

Paige couldn't hold it in any longer. "I trusted her to keep an eye on him! To keep him safe! Why'd she let him leave? Why didn't she check on him more often...?"

"Hang on a sec. She had no idea he was gonna bolt and my girl can't stay awake twenty-four/seven to watch every move he makes. What did you expect her to do? Tie him up? Even if she had checked up on him every five minutes, he would've figured out a way around her. You _know_ that. She was beside herself when she called me…"

"Well, where the hell did he go?! Has Allie called the police?!"

"No. Paige. Stop. He left a note. He's _here_. Or on his way at least."


	7. Chapter 7

BULLY FOR YOU

**AN: I know. I know. It's about damn time.**

**oxoxoxoxoxo**

For several minutes, it was total pandemonium.

In Paige's tiny hotel room, everyone was yelling at everybody else. Paige was screaming at Ralph while he gave her loud, teenage attitude back. Toby and Happy were both talking in Walter's direction, voices steadily increasing in volume hoping to be heard over the others in the room. And Sylvester sat on a corner of the bed, fingers in his ears, shouting for everyone else to shut up.

A piercing whistle spliced through the chaos.

"Cool it!" Cabe ordered. "You guys trying to give me another heart attack, or what? If you don't settle down, the riot police are gonna bust down the door and take us all in."

Quickly, the crew clammed up even though Happy was giving the former Marine a mutinous look.

"We're not done," Paige told Ralph firmly before turning toward the others and saying, "Cabe's right. We've all got things to say but we need to take turns if we're ever going to be heard."

Everyone started speaking at once again.

Cabe shouted over the din, "Alright! Pipe down! We're gonna go around the room so everyone gets a say. Let's try, um…"

"Alphabetically?" Paige suggested.

"That means I get to go first," Cabe stated as if that settled the matter.

When Sly opened his mouth to object, the older man held up one finger and added, "No interrupting! You're gonna have to wait your turn, son."

"Tyrant," Toby hissed, "Who's idea was it to hire you, anyway?"

Cabe narrowed his eyes at the shrink and growled, "Did you happen to do a proctology rotation back in the day, Doc?"

"Oh, here it comes," Toby said instead of answering the question.

"Cuz you're gonna need it to surgically remove my foot…"

"…from your ass!" The whole room said at once.

Walter grinned. It was sort of like a strange family reunion. He quietly admitted to himself how much he'd missed them.

Cabe gave the group a flinty-eyed glare, daring any of them to defy him and speak out of turn again.

Paige hesitantly raised her hand and interjected when he nodded his permission, "If someone asks a direct question, I think we should be able to answer. Agreed?"

There were nods all around.

"Fine," Cabe quickly consented then began to speak his piece before anyone else could jump in, "I've been waiting for months for you guys to pull your heads out of your butts and work this out. I couldn't stand for my kids to be at odds and have our family divided up like this. I thought we'd grown and improved over the years. I thought grudges and stupid misunderstandings would never keep us apart for long. I thought we were supposed to accept each other. Have each other's backs. Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't call each other out on our mistakes, but I always thought we could work through anything. I never thought I'd see the day when we'd gang up on one person this way and try to hurt him on purpose. But that's what you all did. First by walking out, then by starting Centipede Partners. And I don't much care if you fire me for saying so. You purposely went after Scorpion. That was wrong. I'm disappointed in you. All of you."

An uncomfortable silence fell. The older man seemed to deflate a little as he finished. He looked around but no one would meet his gaze. "Happy has the floor," he conceded with a sigh.

The little mechanic shifted her weight from foot to foot, crossed and uncrossed her arms and let them fall to her sides. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again and bit her lip.

"Today would be great. Preferably before check out time," grumbled her husband.

Cabe eyeballed the shrink, "Shut it." Then he jerked his chin in Happy's direction indicating she should speak up.

"Look. I'm no good at this. You've all met me. Someone else should go."

"Just say what you came all the way to Florida to say," Paige coaxed and gave her friend a wan smile.

Happy turned toward Walter and took a deep breath. "What you did to Paige was stupid… But you know it was stupid because you're not. Stupid, that is. Even if you acted like it. I mean, what were you thinking, Walt? Going to a lecture with someone she was already crazy paranoid over? I don't get why you would risk your relationship… why you would risk _Scorpion_ that way. For what? In a way, it felt like you were willing to throw away our family to go to a dumb lecture, you know? Look, I know you don't assess risks the way Sly does, but _seriously_? It took you three years to finally get it together…" Happy shook her head at him.

Then she continued, "Well… If we're being honest here, I guess me more than anyone gets why you were too scared to tell her after the fact. Let's face it, neither one of us is any good at owning up to it when we're wrong especially when we know it might mean hurting someone we care about. And after what my dumbass husband said to you about hurting her if you told her? Well, that just confused the issue and made it worse. I get that too. Now. Basically, at the time, I got mad because you screwed up and didn't listen to me. And I was still kinda pissed off because of the whole winch-design-profit-sharing crap even though you'd fixed the numbers already. But see, all that got mixed up in here." She tapped one finger to her temple. "And made me forget some other stuff in here." She tapped two fingers over her heart. "Like how you used that payment, the one that woulda put Scorpion back in the black. You know, how you gave that to us for our fertility treatments. Without hesitation. And I also forgot that time before when you were willing to risk deportation so I could stay here with Toby. And how you took me in when I couldn't keep a job because of my temper. I forgot how you saw potential in me and gave me a chance. And how you kept that tie clip from the day we met and gave it to me to wear at my wedding. I forgot how you and I have always been friends and how you gave me a family and how you introduced me to my husband. I was only mad at you because I saw disaster coming and you wouldn't listen to me. It was like… like you didn't trust me. I'm… I'm sorry, Walt. I didn't think it would go as far as it did. Centipede is… well, it's not good. Without you in the picture, it's not the same. It blows. Hard."

Happy cleared her throat and looked down to hide the suspicious brightness in her eyes. "That's it. I'm done," she croaked.

All heads swiveled toward Walter. "What? It's not my turn and she didn't ask me anything."

A few soft snickers broke the tense silence that fell after Happy finished speaking.

"Alright, it's on to Paige, then." Cabe gestured toward the Centipede leader.

Her worried gaze met Cabe's. "I can't. Not yet," Paige whispered after a few seconds of struggling to talk without choking up. "Sorry."

Walter fought an almost overwhelming urge to go to her. Comfort her. Even he could tell she was fighting for composure. Plus, she just looked so incredibly tired. He was glad to see it when Sylvester grabbed her hand and gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze.

"Let me go, then," Ralph piped up, then stubbornly continued without anyone's expressed permission. "This whole thing sucks. I didn't do anything wrong and every one of you is responsible for tearing our family apart. When I first met you guys, you promised me I had a cyclone that would always be there for me. What a joke. One bad decision and you scatter like roaches. That's what this new company shoulda been called. Cockroach Partners. Because you're the only ones who survived the nuclear holocaust of Scorpion." He crossed his arms and glowered belligerently, daring anyone to contradict him.

Cabe, the only one with any real right to refute him, spoke up gently, but with authority, "Son, you need to watch how you speak to your elders. We've had this conversation before, remember? You're lack of respect isn't helping matters. I realize you have a lot to be angry about. We all do. But people make mistakes and let you down sometimes. You need to keep in mind you aren't perfect either. You've hurt people and let them down before too. And you will again. One of these days you'll be in the position to need a little forgiveness. The best any of us can do is learn from mistakes and try to do better in the future. Now we're trying our best to mend some fences here. I'd like it if you'd work with us instead of throwing blame around. Okay?"

The boy looked stricken for a moment. He swallowed hard and glanced over at Walter. "Okay. I guess I've been mad for a long time. I'm sorry. I don't want to stand in the way of progress. I want us to work this out. That's why I risked being grounded forever to come here. Not to mention, I just wanted to see Walter, you know? I missed him. I missed all of us. Together. Like before."

His sorrowful gaze turned toward his mother. "Sorry, Mom. I know I haven't been very nice to you. You've always stuck with me even when I couldn't connect with you. It just felt like you threw my whole world away because of a stupid misunderstanding. I knew you were sad about it and I was glad. I wanted you to feel as bad as I did. That was wrong."

She gave him a tremulous smile in return and ran her fingers though his hair. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. But it will be. I'll do better."

"That's a great start," Cabe smiled proudly at mother and son. "Now, whose turn is it?"

"I guess it's mine," Sylvester offered uncertainly.

Next to the break up with Paige and the separation from Ralph, Walter found Sylvester's hostility the hardest to take. The younger man's abandonment had cut deep.

The person he'd once considered a brother, looked at Walter and asked softly, "Did you mean it?"

Genuinely confused, Walter answered, "Mean what?"

"When you said my role on the team would be obsolete in five years due to advances in technology? When you said I was immature? When you all but accused me of being a coward? The awful things you said about Megan and me? Did you mean it? Because if you did, we really have nothing left to talk about."

"At the time, maybe I thought I did. But if I'm being honest, I wasn't exactly thinking straight. I was… lashing out. I can tell you I don't think that now. You know I have utmost respect for your abilities and the things you've overcome and achieved. And-and you were great with my-my sister. You made her last, um… You made her happy at-at the end in a way I couldn't."

"Okay. I can live with that," Sly paused to expel a heavy sigh. "I know I was wrong to provoke you. I should never have said those things to you about Florence."

The whole room winced when he said the name.

"Oh, come on!" Sylvester tsked impatiently. "It wasn't her fault either. None of this was. She was only being honest." His gaze dropped to his fists clenched in his lap. "And I have a confession to make. We've... me and Florence have been… seeing each other."

"What?!" Paige gasped and stared open-mouthed. "Since when?!"

"Oooooo! Sly is seeing Flo on the sly?! Or maybe I should say Sly is going with the Flo?" Toby giggled rather maniacally until his wife slapped the back of his head. "How did I not see that? I mean, I knew you were acting cagey. I just thought your anxieties were getting to you more lately because of the rift with Walt. But all this time you've been leaving early, not going on missions, not hanging out after hours because you're sleeping with the enemy! You weren't agoraphobic at all. You were hiding a huge stinkin' secret. Kudos, man!"

Completely ignoring Toby's shenanigans, he went on, "Since a few weeks after the split. We ran into each other at the park where we held those taste tests for my water filtration system. And we got to talking. I knew you all would hate it. That's why I never said anything. The reason she quit Scorpion was because of me. It was too hard to compete against each other and I couldn't stand when you guys would talk trash about her."

Walter dropped down on the other corner of the bed as if his knees gave way. "That's why she left? She never said," He whispered absently. After a few stunned seconds, he reached over and smacked the back of Sylvester's shoulder heartily. "I should be mad," he chuckled, "But I'm not. At all. Way to go, Sly. You deserve to be happy."

The mathematician grinned. "Thanks. Just for the record, I have been having issues with anxiety and panic attacks. But it was more due to keeping all this a secret from everyone." Then his face fell and he added, "Walt, you deserve to be happy too. I'm sorry about what I said and for walking out when I knew you were hurting. The only excuse I have is I was hurting too."

The two men gave each other a brief one-armed embrace.

Toby cleared his throat loudly. "This is touching and all, but let's keep it moving along to my turn, okay? Some of us have been waiting a while. Look, I've analyzed everything that happened on that fateful day until my analyzer is sore. This is my final diagnosis: We were _all_ dopes. How many times have we said Scorpion was the best thing that ever happened to any of us? Then we walked away when 197 big-time screwed up? As if that wasn't inevitable? Walt, I think the biggest mistake we all made was we held you to an impossibly high standard. I was always calling you out on having a God complex, but I think it was us who expected you to be perfect. And when you turned out to be human like the rest of us, we cut out on you. There's not a one of us who can claim we haven't been rude or selfish or gone back to our old habits. I don't know why we expected different from you. I hope we can do better from here. That is, if you'll let us back in…"

They were interrupted by a sudden, annoyingly persistent knock on the door. Paige frowned at the intrusion. She had yet to say what she desperately wanted to say. She was ever the liaison, however, and grinding her teeth to keep her temper in check, she marched over to the door. It was only open a crack when the Centipede leader found herself pushed discourteously out of the way.

An irate Keilah stalked into the room. "Haven't you people done enough damage?" She snapped. "Family emergency, my left…"

"Keilah?" Walter asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you from the Spanish Inquisition. What else?"


	8. Chapter 8

BULLY FOR YOU

**AN: And here's the exciting conclusion. Thanks to all who have stuck with this story through the looooong hiatuses in my writing. Enjoy!**

**oxoxoxoxoxo**

"I assure you, I'm not in any immediate danger." Walter raised an eyebrow at the intruder.

"Whatever. The same way I wasn't in any danger from the bullies at work, right? Yet you still hacked the security feed and sent images of them setting up their stupid pranks to run on a loop on every computer in the office. Even our bosses'," Keilah snapped back.

Walter looked guilty. "It can't be traced back to me," he mumbled.

"No doubt. I still _know_ it was you. Anyway…"

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Paige asked rudely.

Keilah pierced her with a gimlet glare. "I was getting to that before he…," she jerked her head in Walter's direction, "…interrupted me. I'm here to protect him from a bunch of bullies. I'm only returning the favor. I knew you jerks would come slithering back into his life again. You couldn't leave well enough alone."

Walter jumped in before things could escalate, "Keilah, stop it. These people really are my friends. We're simply attempting to work through our differences."

That statement seemed to set her off into a fit of sarcastic laughter.

Happy aimed an aggressive sneer in Walter's new friend's direction. "You want me to… escort her out, boss?"

Both Paige and Walter automatically answered at once. Her reply was, "Yes." His was, "No. That won't be necessary."

Toby stepped forward into the fray. He tilted his head to one side and narrowed his eyes in an evaluating manner. "What exactly is your problem with us? Hmm? Are you really being protective of Walt? Or are you here to make sure we don't take him away from you? Is that it? I'm guessing he's about the only friend you've got. Go ahead. Try to tell me I'm wrong."

"Hey. Don't speak to her like that," Walter said defensively.

"Alright, everyone. Hang on," Cabe intervened, "How 'bout we hear her out?"

There were grudging nods all around.

"As long as we can kick her out after," Happy muttered.

Keilah's chin went up. "I don't owe any of you anything. And neither does Walter. He started a company for people like you to have a place to fit in and reach your potential. He hired you," she jabbed a finger in Paige's face which was promptly slapped away, "to translate humans for him. He gave you all a chance and every one of you _used_ him for a place to belong until you didn't need him any more. Then, even knowing how he struggles, you cut and run when he needed you to understand and help him. He's dealt with bullies his whole life. He created what he thought was a safe circle of friends and you turned out to be the worst bullies of all. You all constantly berated him and told him how stunted and awful he is even though none of you is perfect. Why the hell should he accept any of you back in his life? Why would he ever trust you not to turn on him again? Try to tell me _I'm_ wrong!"

The room fell silent while she seethed and stared around at the circle of ashamed faces.

"Keilah. That's not precisely how it…" Walter tried.

"Yes it was," Sylvester replied, shamefaced. "We were your friends when we needed you. Then we left when you needed us. She's right."

"I know I'm too much for most people. I realize I'm not easy to take."

Paige lifted teary eyes to Walter's. "I should've done better. You would have come through for us if the situation was reversed. Even that awful time when you fired me? As bad as that hurt me, you made sure Ralph and I were provided for first. We had a place to go."

Toby interjected, "And that was a direct result of me telling Paige to keep what happened on the rocket a secret. Not my finest hour. I admit I haven't always been straightforward with my advice to you. Sometimes I enjoyed watching you flounder a little too much. Your oddball friend isn't wrong about me bullying you. All I can say in my defense is, I told myself I was helping you grow at the time."

"Look. It's okay. _I'm_ okay. And I messed up a lot too. I've hurt all of you before. You don't throw out your family and start over just because they mess up, right?" Walter explained.

"But that's exactly what we did to you. We walked out on you. And you've never hurt any of us deliberately. I cringe when I think about the things I said to you. No matter how angry I was, I shouldn't have picked you apart in front of everyone that way. I can never say I'm sorry enough. And if you could find it in your heart to come back, to give us all another chance, I'll try to do better. Be more careful with what we have. I never stopped being in love with you. I needed to tell you that even if I realize you've moved on. I-I would be grateful if we could just go back to being a family again. My son needs you in his life... and I need you in mine. I'll do whatever it takes," Paige said, her tone turning pleading at the end.

"What if I wanted to dissolve Centipede and form Scorpion 3.0? A genius democracy where we all have fair stakes and share the responsibilities in the company?" Walter asked.

"I think that's doable," Paige turned hopeful eyes to her fellow Centipedes and they all gave enthusiastic nods and thumbs up.

"What if I wanted to bring someone on board? Someone else who's smart, but struggles to fit in and needs some patience and guidance in dealing with humans?" Walter aimed a significant look at Keilah.

Paige's gaze dropped to her toes. "I guess we couldn't split you up from your new girlfriend." She took a deep breath and added, "I guess I can help her learn…"

Keilah burst into laughter again. "Me and _him_? Are you joking? No way. We'd kill each other. But if you're asking, I'd love to join your team and give my 'good riddance' notice at the festering turd of a job I've got now. Plus, I could keep an eye on you guys and make sure you don't start pushing Walter around too much again."

"I guess it's settled then," Paige said with a slightly pained grimace she tried to pass off as a smile.

"Not quite," Walter contradicted. "What if I want you back? As-as my girlfriend? What if that was my final condition?"

**Two months later...**

"Uh, Paige?" Walter cleared his throat, "Could I have a quick word? In-in, uh, private?"

Paige gave him a melting smile. "Sure, my sweet little Wally-Pop."

Happy pretended to stick her finger down her throat. Keilah grabbed the nearest trash can and mimicked retching into it. The pair of lovebirds didn't appear to notice the nearly universal reaction to their cooing.

"I thought love-sick Walter was bad," Sylvester muttered under his breath as he watched the newly reunited couple make their way toward the kitchen area of the recently reacquired garage.

As the rest group observed their retreat, Paige slipped her hand into Walter's and pressed one cheek against his shoulder, hugging his arm tightly. He gazed down at her with a look that was both adoring and a little sheepish all at the same time.

When they were a sufficient distance away, without dropping hands, they turned to face one another.

"Is this private enough?" She teased and winked flirtatiously, "Or will we need the kind of privacy that requires a locked door?" Paige leaned in and whispered, "Or maybe some serious sound-proofing? You've gotten a lot louder when we've been intimate lately."

His eyes darted toward the rest of the team and he tugged on her fingers to turn her away from them. "Shhhh. I can't help the sounds I make when you do… _that_," he admonished even as he flushed in pleasure at the memory. "And Paige, uh, remember it's still office hours. As much as I would enjoy that kind of, um, privacy with you, we're in the middle of a tricky coding project. And-and I need to focus..."

When she gave him an exaggerated pout, he hastily added, "…For-for now. I'll make it up to you later. I promise."

"What's this all about then, Wally-Coddles?"

His eyes widened. "That."

"What?" Paige asked with a genuine frown of confusion on her face.

Walter cringed. "The nicknames. It's a new development. You called me, um, Walterrific in front of a client yesterday. And this morning you-you made a comment at the staff meeting that you hope you're 'worth your Walt'. Last week you patted me on-on… in front of Richard Elia. And when I asked you what you were doing, you told me you just felt the need for a little 'pinch of Walt'."

His girlfriend looked crestfallen. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize. Am I embarrassing you?" She winced.

"No. No," He was quick to assure her with a crooked smile. Then he whispered, "I like it." His eyes flitted around as if looking for spying equipment or co-workers.

Walter bent and kissed her gently on the forehead then pressed his brow to hers. "But I think we might need to tone it down around the others some. They seem to get nauseated when you do it. I don't want to test their patience too much after what we've been through. And maybe not in front of customers so much? If-if that's okay?"

Paige still looked rueful. "Sorry. I can't seem to help myself. I have all these feeling about you and this stuff comes tumbling out of my mouth before I can stop it."

"I understand. It was like that for me when we first got together. Remember? So, um, you express yourself however you want to. But maybe mostly when we're alone if-if that's alright. I want you to know I'm here for all of it. No matter what."

"That's such good news." Paige's expression turned back to tender adulation, "No one has ever taken me back like this, flaws and all and stuck around accepting all of me before. You've proven you really do love me. And I finally believe it. For real this time. You made me believe in us. For the first time in a long while, I really trust in someone. I trust you. Completely. You're my strong, trustworthy and, let's not forget sexy, Wonder Walt."

His smile went sappy. "And you're still my Little Asthma."

The eavesdropping team soon went back to independently working on the case. Because they knew from experience, once those two started kissing in earnest it would be a while before they came up for air.

And no one would have it any other way.


End file.
